Does Belly Dancing Make Your Hips Bigger?

by
LISA M. WOLFE Sept. 11, 2017

Lisa M. Wolfe

A mother of two and passionate fitness presenter, Lisa M. Wolfe had her first fitness article published in 2001. She is the author of six fitness books and holds an Associate of Arts in exercise science from Oakland Community College. When not writing, Wolfe is hula-hooping, kayaking, walking or cycling.

Belly dancing provides an excellent workout that burns calories to aid in weight loss, improves muscle tone and enhances flexibility. It also allows you to move your body in ways that celebrate femininity and may improve your self esteem. While belly dancing does not increase your hip size, it unabashedly draws attention to whatever curves you have.

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Belly Dance

Belly dancers show off their body with outfits that expose their midsection. The outfits drape hips with material or jingly coins to bring attention to the various hip movements. Your hips roll, drop, perform figure-8s and shimmy while belly dancing, increasing hip range of motion and flexibility. This flexibility can decrease lower back pain. Belly dance is a low-impact cardio exercise.

Weight Loss

Exercise burns calories; calorie burning aids in weight loss. Belly dancing burns up to 300 calories in a hour, according to Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat on the Nazeem Allayl Belly Dance Studios website. Unfortunately, you don't get to choose what part of your body those calories will come from. If your aim is to reduce fat from your hip area, belly dancing is not a guarantee of hip size reduction. But if you are dancing and eating a healthy diet, belly dancing will not increase the size of your hips.

Smaller Waist

"Fitness" magazine reports that regular exercise through belly dancing can result in a smaller waist. Belly-dancing movements target and tone the muscles in your core — and a smaller waist could make your hips appear larger. With continued participation, belly dance will trim and tone the weight from your hips, too. Until then, use your hips as an asset in belly dancing's many hip-focused movements.

Hip Size

You might be wondering if belly dancing increases hip size after seeing the women who participate in belly dancing. Many women with larger hips are drawn to belly dance because it embraces a woman's curves. Unlike running, belly dancing is a low-impact exercise which is easier on the joints of larger women. One of the benefits of belly dance is increased self esteem, the World Belly Dance website reports. Belly-dancing focuses on appreciating your curves while creating beautiful, flowing movements.